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Greetings from C-CIARN Agriculture, "Climate change is clearly associated with GHG emissions, and farmers and ranchers understand the relationship it has to the sustainability of their farms and ranches. To them, climate change means the higher probability of drought, excess precipitation and a number of other extreme weather scenarios that could mean the loss of crops and livelihood. In short, it hits them where they live." (From Lessons in greenhouse gas reductions, by Ray Desjardins, available here) Adaptation to climate change: what needs to happen next? In the U.K., the Environment Agency and Defra (Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs) have published a report of a workshop held in November 2005 that was convened to support the development of policy within Europe. FOR THE FIRST TIME, CLIMATE ADAPTATION FORMED A PART OF THE EUROPEAN CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMME. The report summarises and synthesises presentations, papers and discussions held at the meeting. Two main messages emerged from the meeting: there is a need for an urgent, active adaptation agenda; and climate change adaptation should be embedded within all levels of government. Three main areas of action were identified: 1. strengthening outreach and engagement on adaptation; 2. clarifying roles and improving co-operation (eg. incorporating adaptation into existing policies); 3. improving research tools and techniques, and continuing to fill knowledge gaps (eg. define what is meant by “successful” adaptation, use existing tools to promote adaptation, analyse and disseminate information on the economic cost and benefits of adaptation). The report presents information on water resources, flooding, land management and health. Institutional issues in adaptation planning are also covered. It concludes with a section on EU and individual national adaptation programmes, with information from Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the UK and Scotland. (Source: McKenzie Hedger, M and Corfee-Morlot, J., 2006. Adaptation to climate change. What needs to happen next? Report of a workshop in the UK EU Presidency. Environment Agency.) 1. North Florida dairy farmer perceptions toward the use of seasonal climate forecast technology by, Cabrera, V.E., Breuer, N.E. and Hildebrand, P.E., 2006. Climatic Change 38 : 479-491. 2. The Influence of Climate, Soils, Weather, and Land Use on Primary Production and Biomass Seasonality in the US Great Plains, by Jose M. Paruelo, John B. Bradford, William K. Lauenroth, Ingrid C. Burke. Ecosystems, Volume 9, Number 6 :934 – 950. Document available here 3. Climate Change: Back to the Future, by William D. Dar, Director General, CIGAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) October, 2006. “Dryland inhabitants have always been adjusting to large variations in climate, both short and long-term. By looking back, we will find clues to our future. We also view current climatic variability as a learning opportunity — in a sense, as a dress rehearsal for future climate change. By helping the dryland poor to cope better with current climate variability, we help them better prepare for the future.” Document available here 4. Loss of Resilience, Crisis, and Institutional Change: Lessons from an Intensive Agricultural System in Southeastern Australia, by John M. Anderies, Brian H. Walker, Paul Ryan. Ecosystems, Volume 9, Number 6:865-878. Document available here 5. Will African Agriculture Survive Climate Change? By Kurukulasuriya, P., Mendelsohn, R., Hassan, R., Benhin, J., Diop, M., Eid, H. M., Fosu, K. Y., Gbetibouo, G., Jain, S., Mahamadou, A., El-Marsafawy, S., Ouda, S., Ouedraogo, M., Sène, I., Seo, N., Maddison, D. & Dinar, A. (2006). World Bank Economic Review, 20(3), 367-388. 6. A summary of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Nairobi) conference prepared by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change is available here 7. Water and Agriculture -- Sustainability, Markets and Policies, held in Adelaide, Australia, November 2005 was published on Friday 3 November 2006. Details of the publication are available on the OECD website Note that a dedicated OECD website contains downloadable files of the Summary and each paper Statistics Canada: Releases Statistics Canada | November 24, 2006 Realized net income for Canadian farmers fell in 2005 to its lowest level since 2003, following two years of drought and more than two years of battling trade restrictions because of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Realized net income, the difference between a farmer's cash receipts and operating expenses minus depreciation, plus income in kind, declined 14.2% to $1.9 billion. This figure was 16.4% below the previous five-year average (2000 to 2004). Drought-hit Australia battles climate change Agnet | Michael Perry | November 1, 2006 Australia is already feeling the heat from climate change with a five-year drought devastating rural life, severe early season wildfires and record unseasonal temperatures. Every four days, a farmer commits suicide under the stress of failing crops, dying livestock and debt as the worst drought in 100 years bites deep into the nation's psyche and erodes economic growth. Australia's cities are also suffering, with every major centre imposing strict water usage restrictions as reservoir levels fall. Australian scientists and environmentalists say climate change is no longer a future threat and are urging Australia to sign the Kyoto Protocol aimed at lowering greenhouse gases. All for now, Ellen Wall ewall@uoguelph.ca Co-ordinator, C-CIARN Agriculture (Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network for Agriculture) Blackwood Hall (Room 202) University of Guelph. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Phone: 519 824 4120 ext 58480 Fax: 519 763 4686 http://www.c-ciarn.uoguelph.ca |
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